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Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Hello!! I'm back! It's been a busy and fun week or 2 so I apologize for the quiet here on the blog. We've had lots of family time and holidays to celebrate-- my 28th birthday, Christmas, Mr. Adventures In Acetone's 30th birthday, and yesterday was our 9th wedding anniversary! The second half of December is always a bit nuts around here but I love it! Now that it's starting to slow down, I'm ready to get back into painting my nails and posting for you all! The end of the year is near, and I like to look back and reflect on all of the manis I've worn this year. I've narrowed them down to my 15 favorites so let's take a look!

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Good morning, readers! Merry Christmas Eve! Today, I have some simple holiday nail art for you that I created by following another tutorial in Idiot's Guides: Nail Art that I reviewed yesterday! If you missed that post, check it out HERE! There were a handful of Christmas tutorials but this one was calling out to me the most ever since I opened the book.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Emily from The Lacquerologistpublished a BOOK! That is just so awesome and I couldn't be happier for my fellow blogging friend! I received a copy of Idiot's Guides: Nail Art to review and share with you all today because it's full of nail art tutorials! With over 75 tutorials and categorized by difficulty level, there is something for everyone to try. Emily is a nail technician at her own nail spa so there are also really informative pages about nail care, polishing, gel polish, nail art basics and more. I've followed one of my favorite tutorials from the book as well, so let's take a look!

Friday, December 19, 2014

Good morning, readers! I have a cool post to share today, complete with a GIVEAWAY! Have you heard of JORD Watches before? They are made of wood! That is such a neat concept to me that I was really happy to have the opportunity to review one. Of course I just had to do some wood grain nail art to coordinate!

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Good morning, readers! I have a tutorial for you this week! It's a cute little polar bear that I wore on an accent nail during Winter Wonderland Week. He is cute and fairly easy to do if you have some dotting tools and a thin brush, so I hope you will try this design on your own nails!

Friday, December 12, 2014

Good afternoon, readers! It's the final day of Winter Wonderland Week with The Digit-al Dozen! Today's nail art was inspired by a gingerbread house! Do you make them at home? We haven't yet this year, but it's something on our list to do very soon! I used textured polishes for the candy and icing to give it a little extra depth.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Good morning, readers! My friend Ashley Is PolishAddicted suggested that I do a polar bear once she saw my Rudolf Tutorial Tuesday post this week, so that's what I've done for Day 4 of Winter Wonderland Week with The Digit-al Dozen! I'm not sure why it never crossed my mind because polar bears are SO CUTE, but I'm really happy with how he turned out. It may end up being next week's Tutorial Tuesday design as well! My other nails have a texture gradient over white snowflakes that I created by using the KBShimmer's Winter Holiday Vinyl Nail Decal Sheet.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Good afternoon, readers! It's Day 3 of Winter Wonderland Week with The Digit-al Dozen and I've gone very wintery with this manicure. I'm calling it Abstract Blizzard because of the swirls and mixing of white and blues. Thankfully, I have never been in a blizzard, but I'm sure some of you have! Nicole from Nail Polish Wars posted a similar design yesterday and I just had to try it in wintery colors for this challenge once I saw it!

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Good morning, readers! It has been 2 months since my last Tutorial Tuesday post and I am so happy to have one today! In case you want to see all of the other tutorials I've done, take a look at the Tutorials Tab at the top of this blog! This will make my 35th tutorial so there are tons of different ones to choose from!

It's Winter Wonderland Week with The Digit-al Dozen and I've done a Reindeer/Rudolf mani! I had a lot of tutorial requests lately for my actual Rudolf mani that featured Bumble from the Rudolf movie. I may or may not get to do one for that, but this was more cutesy and "my style" so I figured I would share this one first.

Are you a Game of Thrones fan? I pretty much can't hear anything about winter without thinking Winter is Coming. It's the motto for House Stark, and it's a reminder to be prepared for when winter arrives and hits their land the hardest. I've decided to recreate a wallpaper I found with the motto and their sigil of a direwolf.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Good afternoon, readers! Monday starts Winter Wonderland Week with The Digit-al Dozen and I've been going through some of my old ideas for Christmas/winter nails from the past few years. Today's post is a round up of my previous nail art looks to hopefully give you some ideas for this holiday season!

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Good afternoon, readers! I really love the grunge/worn/acid wash type nail art techniques but I don't always want grungy color palettes on my nails. I think it's the non-perfection of lines or designs that draw me in so I wanted to do something a little more "girly" with that idea in mind today. I guess we can call this Grunge Fairy!

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Good morning, readers! It's time to start planning your looks for the upcoming holiday parties! Today's manicure is an idea for a holiday glam lookfor your nails! It will go perfectly with your holiday dress, or even work well at your ugly sweater celebration! Read on for a step by step, you may be surprised to see how I used Q-tips Precision Tips to create this look!

Monday, December 1, 2014

Good morning, readers! It's DECEMBER!! How did that happen? Time is flying but I am thrilled that it's Christmas time! We've put up our Christmas tree and started planning our shopping lists. It will be here before we know it.

This morning's post is exciting! I was asked to take part in the Silly Bee's Chickadees Gift of the Melly this year. It's a collection of collaboration polishes that are inspired by each participating blogger's favorite holiday movie scene. $2 of each bottle sold will be donated to the blogger's charity of choice!

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Hello, readers! I have a really fun post to share with you today. On Black Friday, Paint Box Polish is releasing the new Dragons Are A Girl's Best Friend Collection and I have all 4 to share with you today...PLUS nail art to match each polish's dragon of inspiration! Take a look, you just may recognize some of these famous dragons!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Good afternoon, readers! Have you planned your Thanksgiving nail art for this week yet? I've done two Thanksgiving themed tutorials in the past so I'm sharing them now in case you haven't seen them before! Let's take a look at my simple turkey and pilgrim hat tutorials:

Monday, November 24, 2014

Good morning, readers! I have the new KBShimmer Winter Holiday Vinyl Nail Decal Sheet to share and review for you today! 11 holiday inspired designs, 72 total decals to either stick to your nails or use as a nail guide to paint over and peel back up. Let's take a look at the 3 example ideas I've created to show a use for all 11 designs!

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Are you ready for a giveaway? Some of my blogging friends, indie polish makers, and I have teamed up to bring you The Giving Thanks Multi-Blogger Giveaway! There are 9 prizes and we just want to show our appreciation to you for supporting us!

Good morning, readers! I have been sparse on the blog this week, but I am back with a new collection from Alter Ego Nail Enamels! The Home For The Holidays 2014 Collection features 5 polishes inspired by family and friends you would see when you are home for the holidays! Let's take a look!

Monday, November 17, 2014

Good morning, readers! Today's post is a little different because I got to try out my very first gel polish that you have to cure with a UV/LED light. As a total newbie, I was nervous about screwing it up but it actually was easier than I expected! Madam Glam sells regular nail polish but recently expanded to gel polish as well. Let's take a look!

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Good morning, readers! I have a really special Collaboration Box to share with you today for Depression Awareness. I am really happy I was able to swatch these beauties and below is the info I received directly from the polish makers.

This special edition box is a collaboration between 8 indie polish makers with proceeds benefiting the group I Need a LightHouse. I Need a LightHouse is an amazing organization that works directly with people who suffer from depressive disorders as well as educates the family members of those individuals so that they can learn coping methods and help their loved ones. You can find more information about the organization here.

The box will include the following 8 polishes plus a She Shines topcoat from Alter Ego:

Friday, November 14, 2014

Good afternoon, readers! It's the final day of Thankfulness with The Digit-al Dozen! Have you enjoyed this week? I love how different the theme has stretched among the group of us and I've had fun trying to decide what I could incorporate from my life into nail art. Today's nail art is my favorite manicure in a while and I am so excited to wear it all weekend. Today, I am thankful for books. Whether it's the children's books filled with pictures and rhymes that I read with my children daily, or the (mostly) Urban Fantasy books I read for myself as often as I can.

I've done a sparkling, colorful base with the words "live, laugh, love" stamped across them. Not all the books we read have colorful pages, but those that don't can take us on a journey out of our everyday life and that is what's so magical about books. I am so glad that both of my children, as well as Mr. Adventures In Acetone, love books as much as I do.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Good evening, readers! For my 4th day of Thankfulness with The Digit-al Dozen, I am thankful for Target! Yes, the retail store. There are a zillion things I love about Target but some stand out more than others. I was a cashier there as my very first job at 16 years old. About a year or two after I started working there, I met my now-husband! Mr. Adventures In Acetone began working there and it made work so much better. Cheesy, I know, but it's the truth.

Currently, the two biggest things I love about Target are the double-seater children carts and the built in Starbucks. I am at target a few times a week and it's so easy to have both kids strapped in a cart as I stroll through with a frappuccino in hand. Target is on my "making my life easier" list so today I've done some bullseyes for the store logo.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Good morning, readers! Today, as part of our Thankfulness Week with The Digit-al Dozen, I am thankful for coffee! Even as I type this, I am sipping on a cup. In case you didn't guess from my post on monday, life here can be a bit hectic. Getting up at 5am to fit in some nail time wouldn't really be possible without my daily coffee. (Who am I kidding, sleeping in on some weekend days still requires coffee asap LOL!) For my nail art today, I've done a watermarble that reminds me of when I'm mixing my creamer into my coffee (or the pretty surface designs when you get coffee at a coffee shop). My accent nail is a cup of steaming coffee over Darling Diva Caffeine Junkie. Fitting, right?

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Good afternoon, readers! Its Thankfulness Week with The Digit-al Dozen and today I am thankful for the many awesome friends I've met over the past 3 years in the nail polish community. I started blogging when my husband was deployed to Afghanistan with the US Army. It was a lonely time for me, even with a couple friends and Hailey being a 3 year old at the time and keeping me busy during the day. I had so much free time on my hands at night when she went to bed that I found myself sucked into the world of nail art and a few nail art groups on Facebook. They turned into my online family and I am still good friends with some that I've known since the beginning.

For today's nail art, I've recreated a nail art look by one of my closest nail art friends--Ashley from Ashley Is PolishAddicted. It just so happens to be herBIRTHDAY today, so it's perfectly fitting! Happy Birthday, Ashley!

Monday, November 10, 2014

Good morning, readers! It's time for another nail art week with The Digit-al Dozen! This month's theme is Thankfulness and it's posing quite the challenge when it comes to conveying ideas into nail art. I am so absolutely thankful to God for the blessings in my life such as my husband, children, family, friends, food on our table, a home, our health, my husband's employment, etc. Those are really the most important things in my life but aren't that easy to do as nail art. So, I think I'll look at this week as a way to show some of the little things in life I am thankful for. Whether they just make me happy or make my life as a busy mom easier.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Good morning, readers! I have the new Zoya Wishes Collection for Winter/Holiday 2014 today. There are 6 polishes, three of which are Magical Pixie Dusts. They all coordinate well together, and I can see a lot of nail art/accent nail possibilities! Let's take a look!

Friday, November 7, 2014

Good afternoon, readers! I have a simple nail art mani to show you today. I was so excited to grab Pipe Dream Polish V.I.P. Pass at one of the last restocks and this is how I wore it! Swirls and dots are simple and eye catching, and I loved the odd color palette.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Good afternoon, readers! KBShimmer released their new Winter Collection on the 1st and I showed you some of them a couple of weeks ago. Adding to the new collection of polishes are new scents to the Cuticle Oil Pen line. This was my first time trying cuticle oil by KBShimmer and I will share my thoughts below on the two new holiday scents I received: Raspberry Vanilla and Peppermint.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Good morning, readers! Are you ready for a FLASH GIVEAWAY?? Do you remember the swatches of the new Gloss48 Exclusive Alter Ego polishes I shared a couple of weeks ago? You now have the chance to win 4 Alter Ego polishes provided by Gloss 48.

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Good afternoon, readers! I can't believe it's November already! I know this post is a little late, but I really wanted to show you what I wore on my nails for Halloween yesterday. I did a sneak peek on Instagram last night, but here are some more pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Friday, October 31, 2014

Good morning and Happy Halloween!! I have my final Spooky Days manicure for you today. Have you enjoyed this week? This look isn't for everyone, it's kind of icky with the color combo but I really wanted to try grunge nails with Halloween colors so here we are. Maybe Shrek goes zombie? I used this tutorial by Chalkboard Nails to create this look.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Good morning, readers! It's Day 4 of Spooky Days with The Digit-al Dozen. I feel like I can't get through a Halloween season without spider web nails. Spiders creep me out all year long, but I still can't deny how fun the webs are to paint. I've been doing them for years and I love how different they can look. This time, I was wearing Pahlish The Final Flower and knew I wanted to use it as a base for spider webs. Elevation Polish Black Ice was a great pairing for the gradient, and the silver spider webs just popped so well.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Good morning, readers! It's Day 3 of Spooky Days with The Digit-al Dozen! I have another "cutesy" Halloween nail art mani for you today and I really loved it. I used a fan brush to add some dirt/age to the "bandages" and I love the extra detail.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Hello Beautiful Readers!! The Digit-al Dozen has something extra special in the works this week. We are doing a just for fun week of spooky Halloween manicures and guess what... we have a Giveaway for you guys too!!
Two lucky winners will be bringing home some new pretties to add to their collection!

Good morning, readers! I have a really funky manicure to show you for Day 2 of Spooky Days with The Digit-al Dozen! It's not spooky, but fits in with Halloween and I really loved it! I followed this tutorial by AttackedAstoria Nails and am so glad I did. The drips pop over the black base so well.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Good morning, readers! Today is the beginning of an extra Digit-al Dozen nail art week! We really wanted to fit in some Halloween manis this month so some of us are joining in to bring you more Halloween nail ideas before the big day. Today is also this month's Lacquer Legion day with the prompt: After Dark. So I'm combining both prompts and I'm showing my spookiest manicure for the week: Glowing Jack 'O Lanterns! I'm sure you will see plenty of these if you go trick or treating this Halloween!

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Good morning, readers! I have an exciting post for you today! On November 1st, KBShimmer is releasing the Winter 2014 Collection. I have 7 of the polishes to share with you today! There are 16 total: 11 new and 5 re-released colors. I already showed you Spot Signa couple of days ago. Let's take a look at the other 7 I was sent to review!

Friday, October 24, 2014

Good morning, readers! We are one week away from Halloween this year so I thought I would do a bit of a "Flashback Friday" post and round up all of my previous Halloween/Spooky nail looks from the past few years! Next week will be full of new Halloween manis with The Digit-al Dozen, so enjoy these old manis in the meantime. You can click the each photo caption to be taken to the original post for each look!

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Leopard spot glitter, what?!! I am a huge fan of wearing leopard spot nail art but it certainly takes a while to do a full mani. KBShimmer recently released this awesome new glitter topper called Spot Sign that you can layer over any base to create your own easy leopard print mani! I decided to wear it over my recent Dry Brush Nail Art and the black really popped over the colored base.

Good morning, readers! I have a gorgeous duo from Alter Ego Nail Enamels to share with you today. It is exclusive to Gloss48 and will launch at a discounted price next Wednesday, October 29th at 11am EST. If you don't remember my many review posts in the past on Alter Ego Nail Enamels, all polishes dry to a satin matte finish due to the special base. I really love that, because it's like getting two polishes in one if you decide to add a glossy top coat. Let's take a look!

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Good evening, readers! I haven't had a chance to show you this mani yet, but I wore it a few weekends ago. I used the grunge/dry brush technique as shown in one of my favorite tutorials by Chalkboard Nails. To switch it up a bit, I did the brush strokes from cuticle to tip and from side to side. I used all KBShimmer creme polishes for this look. There were so many colors used that no nail was the same while using this technique and I love it! It almost has the look of fabric.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Good afternoon, readers! Zoya announced their Winter/Holiday Collection today called Wishes. Below is the press release I received!

Wishes really do come true with this magical new nail polish collection for Winter/Holiday 2014! Zoya Wishes** is a densely pigmented assortment featuring both traditional and Magical PixieDust formulas in coordinating color combinations that can be worn alone or combined into stunning combinations, no matter how you wear them, this collection delivers a fanciful way to celebrate the season!

Good morning, readers! We had a busy family fun day yesterday so I wasn't able to get this posted when I planned. So, we have an impromptu Swatch Monday post today! If you missed them, go check out the first half of this new OPI Gwen Stefani Holiday 2014 Collectionfrom Saturday! Let's take a look at the other 9 polishes!

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Good evening, readers! I have the new OPI Gwen Stefani Holiday 2014 Collection to share with you this weekend! There are 18 polishes, so I've decided to split them into two posts. This is part 1, and I am going to call it the reds and purples. There are a lot of these colors for the collection so why not see them all together to pick your favorites? I should have the other half up tomorrow.

Friday, October 17, 2014

Good morning, readers! It's the final day of Floral Week with The Digit-al Dozen. Have you enjoyed it? I've actually loved it much more than I expected to. It had me step out from my comfort zone so that always helps. This final mani is inspired by the Digit-al Dozen Queen of Florals herself-- Lindsey from Wondrously Polished. I was so excited when I saw her post this Abstract Flowers manicure a couple of weeks ago and it's been on my to-recreate list ever since. I didn't want to completely copy her mani, so I went with a pink color palette.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Good afternoon, readers! For my fourth floral manicure with The Digit-al Dozen, I've been inspired by Meghan from Will Paint Nails For Food. She is a fellow Digit-al Dozen member and I am always in awe of her stunning manicures. She is amazing with florals, and this is my attempt at a similar "sketched floral" type manicure that I've seen her do many times. I sponged some fall colors on a neutral background, with simple sketched flowers on top.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Good morning, readers! It's Day 3 of Floral Week with The Digit-al Dozen and I've recreated some cute cartoonish flowers from my desk notepad. It may be autumn, but I'm still using a notepad that says Happy Spring! on it. I really loved the flowers and am glad they translated well onto my nails.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Good morning, readers! Floral Week with The Digit-al Dozen continues, and for Day 2 I've stretched the theme a bit. Floral lace shapes for the half moon part of this mani totally count for floral, right?